Key Lime Pie Cupcakes With Coconut Meringue

Submitted by hannahactually

"Yum yum! Share these delicious cupcakes with all the key lime pie lovers out there! From the Cake Mix Doctor."

 

• Ready In: 37mins
• Ingredients: 14
• Yields: 24 cupcakes
• Serves: 24

ingredients

• 24 paper cupcake liners (2 1/2 -inch size)

• For Cupcakes

• 1 large lime, scrubbed (for 1 teaspoon zest and 2 tablespoons juice)
• 4 large eggs
• 1 (18 1/4 ounce) package yellow cake mix
• 1 (3 1/2 ounce) package vanilla instant pudding mix
• 1 1⁄4 cups water
• 1⁄3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon coconut flavoring or 1 teaspoon coconut extract

• For filling

• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1⁄3 cup real key lime juice

• For Coconut Meringue

• 1⁄4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 3 large reserved egg whites
• 1⁄2 teaspoon coconut flavoring
• 1⁄3 cup granulated sugar

directions

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners. Set the pans aside.

2. Prepare the cupcake batter:

3. With a citrus zester or fine grater, zest the lime and reserve one teaspoon. Cut the lime in half and squeeze the juice over a strainer into a small bowl; you should have two tablespoons. Set aside.
4. Separate three of the eggs, place the whites in a large clean mixing bowl and the yolks in another mixing bowl.
5. Add the remaining egg, cake mix, pudding mix, water, oil, coconut flavoring and lime zest and juice to the yolks. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides again if needed. The batter should look well blended.
6. Spoon or scoop 1/4 cup batter into each lined cupcake cup, filling it two thirds of the way full. Place the pans in the oven.
7. Bake the cupcakes until they are lightly golden and spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 18 to 22 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for five minutes. Increase the oven heat to 450°F.
8. Run a dinner knife around the edges of the cupcake liners, lift the cupcakes up from the bottoms of the cups using the end of the knife, and pick them out of the cups carefully with your fingertips. Place them on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes before filling.
9. Meanwhile, prepare the filling: Place the sweetened condensed milk and Key lime juice in a small bowl and stir to combine. Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a medium tip. Press the tip 1/4 inch into the top center of each cooked cupcake and squeeze the bag to release about 1 tablespoon filling into the cupcake. Scrape off any excess filling with a rubber spatula. Place the cooled cupcakes nearly side by side on a baking sheet.

10. Prepare the meringue:

11. Add the cream of tartar to the reserved egg whites and beat with an electric mixer on high speed until frothy, 45 seconds.
12. Add the coconut flavoring and one tablespoon of the sugar. Continue beating on high, adding one tablespoon sugar at a time, until the whites form stiff peaks (if you pull the beaters from the meringue, the meringue should extend from the beaters in straight stiff peaks).
13. Spoon two tablespoons meringue onto the top of each cupcake and swirl to spread it just to the edges with a short metal spatula or a spoon. Place the pan in the oven. Bake until the meringue is light nutty brown in color, five to six minutes.
14. Run a dinner knife around the edges of the cupcake liners, lift the cupcakes up from the bottoms of the cups using the end of the knife, and pick them out of the cups carefully with your fingers. Serve at once, or allow the cupcakes to cool 10 minutes, then serve.

Reviews

[skiingpeaches]

Yum Yum!!! Loved this recipe!! Filling is terrific!!

 

[JOY1998]

I used a lemon cake mix, but used key limes. They turned out really good! I loved the filling and coconut flavor. Thank you for posting.

 

[Stephanie.l.henders]

This is the most amazing recipe... my husband loves when I make him a key lime pies. But this takes the cake!! Little bites of heaven! We will definitely make this again!!!<br/><br/>I used vanilla instead of coconut flavoring.

 

[Trixyinaz]

Since I only used a fraction of this recipe, I am not going to give it a star rating. Instead, I will just tell you. I did NOT make the cupcakes or the meringue. I am ONLY rating the FILLING, which was to die for, therefore receiving 10 STARS. I was a little confused when I read the directions for the filling, as sweetened condensed milk and lime juice alone wouldn't be thick enough to create a filling. But after some research, I found out that SCM naturally thickens when you add acidic juices (i.e. lemon juice, lime juice) to it without having to heat it up or add a thickening agent. AMAZING! So without hesitation, I decided to use this filling recipe for my key lime cupcakes. I prefer to bake from scratch, which is the only reason why I didn't use the cupcake recipe here. And, I decided to use a buttercream that I flavored with real key lime juice instead of the meringue. Next time I'll try the meringue. Anway, the filling was simply superb! And, it doesn't get much easier to make either. Everyone at work loved it and next time I'm going to fill the cupcake 4 times instead of just once in the center of the cupcake. I can't wait to make it again. Thanks for posting this.

 

[Tawntress]

This recipe is incredible. It made 32 cupcakes. They were a great hit with everyone in the family and I have gotten several request for the recipe. Will be making them again soon :).